NOW PLAYING

World Humanitarian Summit attacks 'broken' system

Participants in UN summit in Istanbul call for better aid system and new focus on preventing trouble before it begins.

24 May 2016 21:56 GMT

The way world powers respond to humanitarian crises has been labelled "broken" at a gathering of world leaders in Istanbul.

As the first UN World Humanitarian Summit drew to a close on Tuesday in Istanbul, some delegates pushed for a larger overhaul of the system.

"It is shameful that rich countries are moaning, complaining, sending refugees back, cutting deals behind their backs ... We want to see rich countries step up to the plate, absorb refugees and give them opportunities in their countries," Winnie Byanyima, executive director of the aid group Oxfam International, told Al Jazeera.

At the centre of the summit was a document that lists a number of core commitments - to use global leadership to prevent and end wars, to uphold the norms of humanitarian law, among others.

But the commitments contained in the document are non-binding, making it a declaration of intent rather than action.